Too busy, too plain and too many

Last weekend I was at the Queen West Art Crawl, as a vendor, but also as a spectator of other booths and shoppers. Here are 3 of my main observations:

1. Although it is good marketing practice to collect contact information from potential buyers (via emails lists, mailing lists, etc), it shouldn't get in the way of the reason people are at the show. If you have a book for mailing lists, a guest book for comments, brochures for future shows, your business cards, a portfolio, all of these things cloud your art. They are actually competing with the real reason you're there - your art. By the time your potential customer has picked up a card, a brochure, signed even 1 of your 2 books and made polite conversation with you, they are too tired to look at your art. So be careful, have enough stuff to engage them, but don't make it too busy.

2. White space is important, but it can also be intimidating. If your booth looks too neat, too empty, customers are afraid to enter. Really. They think 'I shouldn't touch', or 'If there's only 3 things they must be really expensive" or "if there's only 3 things, they must be the 3 things that no one else wanted. Another draw back to the plain booth, is that people buy art from artists for a story (as I've mentioned before) and a plain booth doesn't tell a story. It doesn't say who you are. So you have be somewhere between too busy and too plain.

3. Throughout the show I had some friends visit - which I loved and needed for a bit of a break from polite talk and they even brought coffee. But I did notice that customers didn't ask questions or buy when I seemed 'too busy'. I also noticed that a booth just across from me had 3 girls 'working' the booth. One was the artist and 2 others were her supports. Great for the artist - minus the sales. People already feel intimidating entering tents, then add more people watching them makes it even harder. So when possible, leave your booth to visit with friends (leave in the care of someone while you leave though) or need a break. Don't make your tent the one with too many.

Rain Rain come today

Not usually the chant you would think of when heading off to an art show, but rain can sometimes be helpful for things other than our gardens. It can even be helpful for an outdoor art show - really it can.

This entry took me a few days since getting back from my last show, in the rain. Since Monday I have been hanging up my tent, my table cloths, my curtains and cards to dry. This is definitely not the fun or productive part of a show in the rain.

The productive part is that there's less window shoppers out on a rainy day. Which means that only the die-hards, ready to spend consumers venture out in the rain. So right off the bat, you have to work less to sell more. And on top of that, you don't lose those customers to 1. getting lost 2. getting tired 3. changing their mind. On a sunny day at an art show, shoppers will find something they like, but say 'I will buy it on the way out', or 'I will come back once I've found my friends'. And then they are gone forever (lost, tired, or changed their mind). In the rain, people are more impulsive, if they like it they will buy because they don't want to have to come back if they decide later they really want it.

So, yes in general, rainy days aren't that fun, but my experience shows that rainy days aren't that bad for sales, at least for the amount of work we have to do on those days.

Ok - time to fold the drying tent and pack it up for a rainy weekend show in London!

A Graceful Exit

Have you ever noticed that art galleries can seem intimidating? How about the stores that have a greeter at the door - does that intimidate you? A few years ago, a friend mentioned to me the idea of giving out Artist Directories as a way to gracefully let her non-customers out the door. And you know what? The construction on Princess / Ontario has done that for our Kollaboration show. At first I wasn't happy about this and then I remembered what it felt like to enter an intimidating gallery.

Providing a way for non-buyers to feel welcome to come and welcome to leave too is important so they will come back again when they are ready (or not ready) to buy. Giving them a way to gracefully decline makes them and you feel better; no uncomfortable moment. Whether you do it by handing them information for something else they may be interested in, sending an open invitation with no obligation, or even prompting an excuse for them (the weather, the construction), the KARMA in this has got to be good.

And with that said, NGB has our Mother's Day Open House this Sunday, so come on by, although it may be snowing... :-)

Dealing with Rejection

We've all been there (at least I hope I'm not the only one) - you know, getting the rejection letter in the mail? Whether it's a grantwe didn't get, a show we got turned down for or a group we wanted to join says no. As artists we have to have pretty thick skin, because this can happen a lot.

Right now it's show application time. And in a few weeks we'll be finding out if we got in or not. It's also grant app time for the Ontario Crafts Council. People always ask me what shows I'm applying for this year. Do you know the number one way I deal with the possible rejection of not getting in? (healthy or not) - I don't tell anyone I applied until I know I got in. It saves face at least.

Here are a few other things I do / tell myself to keep a smile on my face:

1. Find something way more fun to do that weekend - like go camping or to a spa.
2. Take it as a learning opportunity and scrutinize who did get in to see how I can learn from them.
3. Commisserate with others in the same boat (if I spilled the beans that is).
4. Tell myself - they just don't understand what I do :-)

Running Your Event

It's the time of year that most artists are ogranizing some type of an art event - open house, studio tour, show, etc. Whether you're 'running' it or simply 'walking' it, here are some things you should be thinking about:

1. What is the purpose?
a. Show & sell vs.
b. Show & tell
2. Who is the target market?
3. What are the details?
a. Date
b. Time
c. Refreshments
d. Location
i. Does it need to be altered?
ii. Signage
e. Budget
4. Who’s participating?
a. Invite only
b. Jury
5. Task list & Responsibilities
a. Staff / volunteers
b. Media
c. Security
d. Advertising
e. Cash handling
f. Cleaning
6. Timeline
7. Goals
8. Event Day Plan
9. Contingency Plans
10. Follow Up
a. From participants
b. From attendees
c. Your impressions

One of a Kind

Storage that is! I got to go to the One of a Kind show this week in Toronto. I had never been before. It was pretty cool. I was most impressed with the creativity vendors had when it came to storage solutions. For an 11 day show, they really need it! Some of the booths were only 3" x 3" so imagine trying to fit storage space into that!

Any show I've participated in I spend a lot of time planning my displays, but have never really considered storage. You know places to put your lunch, your magazines, your coats, extra product for when you sell out (hehe), and all your boxes. One of the vendors even had a futon behind their little curtain! I can see now that I should really think about this.

At the Gift Giving Show at the Fort we lucked out with storage. Last year some of us used double stacked beds left behind in the rooms. They worked great as table tops, but they also worked great for storage, because the top of the bottom bed became a shelf! With a little cloth, you could hide it from the public and had the floor and shelf to store you personal items (and take a nap if you had helper to relieve you!).

Well, I'm off to pack for the Gift Giving Show this year - starts tomorrow at Fort Henry and goes all weekend. I might just use that bed after all (and not for storage!)

Thanks Toronto City Guide for the picture!

Show list for 2010

At the last Artist Roundtable Group we discussed what shows are coming up and should be attended. The list is not complete, nor will I guarantee it's accurate, but at least it's a starting point.

Click here for the Art and Craft Show list.

Successful Studio Tour Tips

Here's a quick summary of tips for running a successful studio tour or open house that were suggested at the the Artist Roundtable Discussion Group this month:

• 2 or more artists in each venue


• artist shopping opportunity either before you open to the public or at the end of one of the days


• special invite only event prior to opening for the public


• have preview photos or video taken and posted before opening


• wrap up party to collect vendor feedback as soon as possible - maybe even onsite


• involve media


• do a draw to collect email addresses


• plan the date a year out


• send reminders 1 week and 2 days before


• make sure to have signage and have brochures available on the sign itself


• promo the morning of the show to media and on social networking sites

Please add to the list if you have other ideas.

Talk about Competition

The Sea Glass Festival in PEI was a great learning opportunity for me. Not only did I get to meet the guru of Sea Glass, Richard Lamotte, and learn about appraising glass, finding glass, identifying glass, I also got to scope out my competition. My true, head to head competition; other sea glass artists. (photo by Buffy Delaney Moore)

The morning of the festival started out exactly how I thought it would... slow. Not with foot traffic but with sales. There was actually a lot of traffic. So I thought it must be the amount of direct competition. There were almost 25 vendors all selling sea glass products. The up side to this is that I never once had to explain what sea glass was, because everyone that came, came because they too were a sea glass lover. In fact, one women said to me 'I collect sea glass' and her husband swatted her arm and said 'who here doesn't'. The downside to having an 'educated' audience? Everyone photographing your work, writing notes about your work, studying your ideas, so they could go home and use their stash of glass to try and recreate your art.

The afternoon was a nice surprise though. It proved that what I always say is true; don't worry about the competition, if you offer something of value, you'll come out ahead. And so I did. The afternoon I was very busy with sales, orders and compliments about my work. It didn't matter that I had so much competition around me, it was a good show (for sales, and for learning). And besides, I got to make my own notes too..

The Working Holiday

Before I get into the working holiday bit, I wanted to share one of my favourite photos of me with you. It's not my favourite because of how I look, but rather the authentic smile / laughter that it captured while I was beach glass hunting on my favourite beach. Thanks Tracy Olan from Beautiful Day for capturing it!

Now it's down to crunch time preparing for the working holiday. It's definitely the way to go. Not crunch time, but the working holiday that is. The trip to PEI originally started with just me going to be a vendor at Canada's first ever Sea Glass Festival, but it quickly grew to be the annual family vacation. We have always wanted to travel down east (or for Tim's sake out East), but kept putting it off. Now we found a way to make it happen and now it will be a tax write off too! Shhhhh.. don't tell anyone. The downside is you have to pack for both things and you have to make time for both things, but the pros definitely outweigh both of those things. My suggestion is to keep two separate packing lists and don't intermix the boxes - well that's what I'm going to try and do, I'll let you know how it goes when I return.

You have to want to win

As I write this blog I have to fight back a little tear (ok that may be a little exaggerated). You see, it's about my Detroit Red Wings and the Stanley Cup. For those of you that watched the game last night you know what I'm talking about, for those of you that didn't, don't worry, this entry isn't really about hockey.

As I watched Detroit last night, from the very beginning I saw, or didn't see actually something different. In game 1 and 2 of this serious Detroit was out to win, this game they seemed to be playing in a Sunday afternoon game, not for the Stanley Cup. Matt (the hubby) says it's the age coming through. Detroit is a lot older team than Pittsburgh (you know like my age) - maybe that's true. But then how come they won one of the games 5-0? Age didn't matter then. I honestly think it was the drive to win. Pittsburgh fought hard last night, right to the very last second.

So what does this have to do with art? Well, today I'm off to do participate in Art Among the Ruins in Newburgh, and I'm playing to win. The last show I went to I think I treated a little like a vacation... fun place to be, fun people to be with, etc. But if I want to win at this game of being an artist, I have to fight. Not literally, but I have to go out there and do what I need to do to win over a few customers. Hopefully you'll hear as the day is drawing closed 'she shoots, she scores' coming from Newburgh.

I'll take the high road

James taught me something last night (not the first time). He was singing a song that I taught him last week when a friend hit him and he wanted revenge - "I'll take the high road, and you'll take the low road and I'll be to Scotland before you..." We talked about what 'taking the high road' meant. I thought the lesson had just went right over his head, but apparently something stuck. And his timing couldn't have been better... for me.

On the weekend I was doing a show at the Distillery District in Toronto. A neat place for sure, with lots of people and lots of wind. The wind storm created some issues and I had some of my display items break. In the midst of cleaning them up, someone had taken one of my rings; and not just any ring but a red beach glass ring (one of the rarest colours of beach glass). Needless to say I was off to a grumpy start that day.

But when I heard James singing 'I'll take the high road..' it reminded me to do the same. Instead of being so bitter about it, I'm going to see it as a compliment. Someone wanted one of my pieces so much that they were willing to risk breaking the law. And I bet they'll be talking about it too! So who knows, maybe they'll buy something from me down the road...

My treasure box

When I'm participating in art shows / sales I have a list of stuff to bring, you know the usual - product, receipt book, pens, credit cards slips, brochures, table clothes, business cards, etc. But I also have my treasure box. And the other artists always love it. So what's in my treasure box? Here's the list:

~ Tylenol
~ midol
~ throat lozenges
~ mouthwash
~ a loonie
~ band aids
~ extra shoes (feels great to change your shoes half way through the day)
~ granola bar
~ fruit
~ hand sanitizer
~ hand cream
~ small blanket
~ a good book
~ allergy pills
~ sunscreen

Just the little things that make the day go by a little bit easier. Now - get packing your treasurer box.

When opportunity knocks

It may not always be the best time, but sometimes you just have to jump in anyways. The spring is always a great time for beach glass hunting because the strong waves and breaking ice turn everything upside down and the glass finds its way to the shore easier. Well, this year is an exceptionally good year in Kingston because when the ice broke up, my beach (the one I do a majority of my collecting) was the landing spot. The ice all ended up on the beach and even into the parking lot. I've gone down to the beach everyday as the ice melts, new treasurers rise to the surface. It may be cold to hunt on ice instead of sand, but the sounds of the waves, smells of the shores and site of the glass make it all worth it.

Another opportunity presented itself to me last month. It came about in a funny way, one of my stores that sells my art, asked me about my environmental beliefs and processes outside of simply using recycled beach glass. To be honest, this was a good question. I had never really thought of it. It's not that I'm not pro-earth, it's just that I thought I'm doing a small part by using the glass and hadn't thought further. But this got me thinking. If I'm going to hang my hat on being an eco-artist then it has to be more then just recycled glass. So, I've started making my own paper from old newspapers for some of my wall art and signs, I've asked my printing company to make sure my stock papers (for cards, etc) are on 100% post-consumer, Canadian made stock, I've started using found wood or off-cuts instead of canvases, and I've always worked with my left-over silver filings (that was just because I was cheap, but now there's two reasons!). Some of it is on display for April at the Starbucks at Princess & Division in Kingston, or you can visit me at the Back to Nature show April 18 & 19 to see more.

In your business are you carrying your philosophies, your mission and your brand throughout your entire work, or just a portion. You should take stock, there maybe an opportunity knocking at your door..

Grants, Glass and Good old fashion work

My days are full, my brain is full and my hands are sore. If you are fine craft artist then you are probably in the midst of preparing your Ontario Craft Council grant app (and if you're not doing one, you should be!....) I know I'm not only preparing mine, but helping 4 other local craft artists with theirs as well. If you're not doing one because you think the odds are just too high and you won't get one. Think again. For the Ontario Arts Council grants I helped 3 artists apply for one in the winter and 1 out of the 3 got it. That seems like pretty good odds to me, especially when the prize is $5,000!


So my days are full with grant apps. My brain on the other hand, is full thinking about how close we are to beach glass hunting season. Matt (the hubby) starts to have restless sleeps around now because he starts dreaming (and reenacting) sailing regattas as he gets excited for sailing season. Me too - but not for the sailing. To hear the sound of the waves, smell of the shore and touch the great glass finds. Not too long now....


And lastly, my hands are sore as I prep for the upcoming spring show season. I'm now registered for more shows than ever before, my website is selling more and I have more stores carrying my work. I think I only have 12 items in stock (5 of which are christmas cards, 1 is the ring here) Which are all good things, but keeping up with products is hard. I guess that's a good problem to have.

When the Cash Flow is More like a Frozen Pond

Well, I'm not sure if your business is like mine or not, but this time of year not only is the ground frozen up, but my cash isn't flowing much either. I know retailers are feeling my pain right now too. So what are we to do about it? Here's some tips that may help:

1. ask for longer payment terms on supplies from your regular suppliers
2. ask for larger down payments on custom orders
3. host a seconds sale (I'm hosting a Leftovers Potluck on February 15 as a twist on a studio open house - drop by if you can and bring some friends)
4. check in on those consignment accounts and see if they can pay you
5. eat leftovers (see #3 for a fun twist on this :-)

Oh yeah, and next year heed my advice (from experience) pre-plan for your slow times.

Show Time

Now is the time when most artists are planning their shows for the year. Applications and payments are usually due in the first 3 months of the year. It's really a great system, the winter months are typically slower for sales and allow for more admin time (yuck!) and it forces us to sit down and do our planning. The trick is putting all this money out in show fees when our sales are lower. Artists should take this time to do a little cash flow planning as well. It doesn't matter how much money you make at the end of the year if you can't pay your bills in the middle.

So sit down with your cheque book and your spreadsheets, just remember to take time in the studio too!

More to show than sales

Well, now that my shows are done for 2008 I can reflect on how successful they were. Most artists simple look at sales and revenue. And to be fair, we do have to pay our bills so this justifiably the most important aspect of any show. However, it is not the only measure of success or importance.

Shows are a form of advertising. In fact, when I post my expenses I put the show registration fees under advertising. Even if my sales are low during the show, I usually get 3-5 custom orders following the show. And it's important to track these, which can be tricky as it may be a few months down the road. I also usually see increased enrollment in my Bead 'n' Bitch sessions or other workshops.

At the Gift Giving Show two weekends a go, another bonus to shows came to the surface that other vendors experienced and shared with me. Friendship and peer support. Many of the artists there were meeting for the first time, since them I have seen them become friends on Facebook, heard that they have gone for coffee and I'm sure many will keep in touch at future shows.

So when you're measuring the success of your shows - don't just look in your wallet.

Meet the Meanie

Entrepreneurs are often afraid of their competition. They go out of their way to stay away from each other; but I go to the other extreme. I think you should get to know your competitors really well and find ways to work together. I think the synergies you get from one other, the power to grow the entire pie instead of just your slice and the camaraderie you get from it far out weigh the risks associated with it.

Artists do this better than anyone I think. This past Sunday I was part of the NGB Studio Open House (I've including some pictures if you missed it). The artists that have their studios there invited outside artists to share their space for the day and sell their products as well. In our studio (Jane Thelwell's pottery studio) had 4 great women (OK I'm a little biased as one of those four was me, but there was also Annie Clifford, Marie-Claude Delcourt and Jane Thelwell). We worked really well together. We crossed our products over into each others areas, sold for each other while we took art walks ourselves, shared food, helped set up and tear down and were each other's cheerleaders. We also found that selling it each other was easy than selling ourselves so it was a great way work together.

So next time you're wondering if you should meet your competition - go for it - meet the meanie!

Custom lines is that an oxymoron?

I've been thinking a lot about my jewellery and what makes my beach glass pieces stand out when compared to other beach glass work. I also have been thinking about the responses I got over the summer as I'm preparing for my two upcoming shows(NGB Studio Tour and the Gift Giving show - www.giftgivingshow.com) . So the combined question at hand? It's actually two questions: how do I stand out and be remembered (which leads to repeat customers and custom orders) and how to make it simpler to do so?

Up until now, not only have I always created one-of-kind pieces but only one-offs too. Well. The solution to my questions: lines (beachshuk, perfect pendants, whispy - http://lindseyfair.ca/index.cfm?page=collection). I have created a few lines of work (although each piece will always be unique because each piece of glass is unique), so that people can order something and have an idea of what they are getting, they can compare items in my booth and most of all, when showcasing my work to other artists I have a line that will stand out.

I'm not sure if this is the best strategy, but here's to trying. I'll keep you posted. Let me know what you think about it.